Misplaced Pages

#689310

52-397: SOMA was originally opened in the early 1990s by Len Paul at an old warehouse in downtown San Diego on 555 Union Street, just south of Market Street and was originally a slaughterhouse – hence the name “ SO uth of MA rket." At that time, the venue was mostly known as a dance club, but eventually made the transition to hosting live music. One unique feature of the club was that, in addition to

104-417: A brief hiatus, during which Reis launched his own record label Swami Records and released a second rarities collection called All Systems Go 2 , as well as debut albums by his newly formed bands Hot Snakes and Sultans . In 2000, the band signed to independent label Vagrant Records and began work on the album Group Sounds , with Superchunk drummer Jon Wurster filling in on drums. Partway through

156-481: A dedicated underground following. Reis recalls: "It was really immediate; that's why we loved putting out singles early on. We recorded some songs for Sympathy for the Record Industry , and two weeks later, we had some finished copies of them. The turnaround time was amazing. And by the time people were able to get them, it was still under a month. They're hearing something that is completely fresh–this

208-431: A former multiplex movie theater that was renovated into a concert venue. Walls dividing individual theaters were torn down to create one large area for the main stage. It can hold up to 2,300 occupants in its main hall, and the side stage can accommodate 500+. Many of the theater's old production offices have been turned into dressing rooms for the bands which overlook the audience. There is a snack bar and merchandise area in

260-464: A period of inactivity in 1999 and 2000, during which singer/guitarist John Reis formed Hot Snakes and Sultans and launched his Swami Records label, the band signed to Vagrant Records and recruited new drummer Ruby Mars . They experienced a revitalization of creative energy and released two more albums, but were not as prolific as in the past. Over the next few years the band members became increasingly involved with other projects and Rocket from

312-521: A reputation for a series of interesting and, at times, seemingly ludicrous gimmicks and stage antics which included holding raffles during live performances, spinning a large game show wheel to determine set lists, onstage fire breathing, annual Halloween and New Year's shows, and the wearing of coordinated and progressively more ornate stage costumes. In Europe the band also hosted a German variety show, played children's shows and morning shows, and did interviews with fashion magazines. In 1998, Rocket from

364-554: A side project called theHELL. Their debut EP, Sauves les Requines , was released in January 2012. theHell put out another EP titled Southern Medicine in 2013. In June 2011 he became the drummer for Canadian group Danko Jones . As of July 2013 he is no longer in Danko Jones. Willard filled in with Against Me! for the band's 2013 Australian tour dates. On July 31, 2013, Willard officially announced on his Twitter page that he

416-403: A surge of popularity with the release of the albums Scream, Dracula, Scream! (1995) and RFTC (1998), accompanied by numerous vinyl singles and EPs released on independent labels. However, album sales did not meet expectations and Interscope soon turned their attention to higher-grossing acts. The band left the label, and shortly thereafter drummer Atom Willard departed the group. After

468-584: Is on Fire and continuing with the critically acclaimed Hot Charity . They embarked on a six-week "free tour" in support of Hot Charity , with Interscope covering the costs so that fans were not charged admission to any of the band's performances across the United States . This was followed by the recording of their first album for Interscope, the critically acclaimed Scream, Dracula, Scream! The band took advantage of their large recording budget, bringing in string sections and hiring producers to make

520-422: Is something we're doing at the moment . We did that for, like, a three-year period." Their second album Circa: Now! was released in 1992, followed by their first tour and music videos for the songs "Ditchdigger" and "Sturdy Wrist." The band also added a second member to its horn section, bringing in trumpeter Jason "JC 2000" Crane. Around this time Reis announced in a fanzine that all fans with Rocket from

572-671: The "best San Diego band of all time" in their coverage of local acts leading up to New Year's Eve 2000. The band tried to maintain their creativity with the release of the EP Cut Carefully and Play Loud that year, but disagreements between members over the band's direction resulted in drummer Atom Willard departing the group in early 2000 (he would go on to act as Weezer 's drum technician and play in The Special Goodness , later becoming permanent drummer in both The Offspring and Angels & Airwaves ). Rocket took

SECTION 10

#1732775617690

624-738: The Barracudas. Rubalcaba became part-owner of the independent record store Thirsty Moon Records in the Hillcrest area of San Diego and plays with the bands Earthless and Off! . He also joined Reis in the Sultans for infrequent performances until that group's breakup in January 2007. Swami Records released a "rough cut" of the Rocket from the Crypt farewell concert DVD in October 2006, but a fire at

676-465: The Crypt Rocket from the Crypt is an American punk rock band from San Diego , California , originally active from 1990 to 2005, then active during 2011 and again from 2013 to the present. The band gained critical praise and the attention of major record labels after the release of their 1992 album Circa: Now! , leading to a recording contract with Interscope Records . They experienced

728-593: The Crypt , Blink-182 , Unwritten Law , Stone Temple Pilots , and Buck-O-Nine built a strong local following before moving on to tour nationally in the mid-1990s. In 1994, SOMA moved to a former warehouse at 5303 Metro Street, just south of the University of San Diego . Major artists such as Faith No More , Fugazi , Pavement , Radiohead , The Ramones , The Smashing Pumpkins , Weezer and Oasis performed here, as well as many local bands. The venue closed in 1999. In 2002, Paul reopened SOMA at its current home,

780-654: The Crypt , with whom he remained until 2000. Subsequently, he joined the Special Goodness , the Offspring , and in 2005 became a founding member of Angels & Airwaves . In 2007 Willard departed from the Offspring to focus on his work with Angels & Airwaves, and in April 2009 he also joined Social Distortion , but left the following March. In June 2011, he joined the band Danko Jones and in October 2011 amicably left Angels & Airwaves. From 2013 to 2020, he

832-527: The Crypt became less of a focus. They decided to disband in 2005, playing a sold-out farewell show on Halloween in their hometown of San Diego. The band reunited in 2011 for a one-off appearance on the television program Yo Gabba Gabba! , and in 2013 reformed once more for a series of performances in the US, Europe and Australia. Rocket From the Crypt have had a significant impact on alternative music, being cited as an influence by such bands as Jimmy Eat World ,

884-451: The Crypt released RFTC . For the accompanying tour they were joined by Chris Prescott from San Diego bands Tanner and No Knife , who performed as touring percussionist and keyboardist. Though overall reaction was positive and singles "Break it Up" and "Lipstick" received radio airplay, the album failed to sell well. The band settled some contractual obligations and then left their label. In 1999 San Diego music magazine SLAMM named them

936-608: The Crypt tattoos would be allowed into the band's shows for free, for life, causing tattoos of their logo to become an international phenomenon. Fueled by a label interest in Drive Like Jehu, both Rocket from the Crypt and Drive Like Jehu signed to Interscope Records in 1992, with Rocket negotiating a deal that included the freedom to record vinyl releases for other labels. Many of the band's vinyl singles and other rarities were compiled and released as All Systems Go , while Interscope re-released Circa: Now! and pushed for

988-538: The Crypt to perform the song "He's a Chef" on the children's television show Yo Gabba Gabba. In September 2013 he played 3 shows with the band for Riot Fest . In November 2014 he played with the band at Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, Texas. After leaving Rocket from the Crypt Willard served as a drum technician for Weezer . In 2000 he filled in as a touring drummer for Alkaline Trio and appeared with them in

1040-399: The Crypt when John Reis decided to go back and complete the album, which he also produced. The band continues to play sporadically, and regularly performs their annual Halloween show. Adam Willard Adam David " Atom " Willard (August 15, 1973) is an American drummer who has been a member of several notable musical acts. His career began in 1990 when he joined Rocket from

1092-560: The Get Up Kids , and Unbroken . After the breakup of his post-hardcore band Pitchfork in 1990, Reis formed both Rocket from the Crypt and Drive Like Jehu in July and August of that year respectively. Envisioned as a punk -inspired rock and roll band, Rocket from the Crypt's original lineup consisted of Reis, guitarist Andy Stamets , bassist Pete Reichert, drummer Sean, and backing vocalist Elaina. The band took their name from

SECTION 20

#1732775617690

1144-502: The Offspring for Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace (2008) before he was permanently replaced by former Face to Face drummer Pete Parada . Offspring singer Dexter Holland later commented: The simple truth is that Atom had been working on a few of his own projects during our down time, including Angels & Airwaves but other things too. We think that's great. Unfortunately, in order for him to see those things through he isn't left with enough time to devote to future Offspring stuff. It

1196-731: The Pops . 1996 also saw them win The Phillip Hall Radar award at the NME awards event. They were also an alternative rock hit in the US, where their videos were featured on MTV and the band received many positive reviews in both mainstream and underground music presses. Then-ubiquitous MTV VJ Kennedy sported a tattoo of the band's logo on her ankle on national television, and increased radio and MTV airplay continued. A large headlining tour ensued in 1996, as well as supporting tours with Rancid and Soundgarden . The band also gained

1248-431: The Special Goodness was 2003's Land Air Sea . The band have not released an album since then. Willard also recorded drum tracks for the songs "Head Unbound" and "Would If I Could" on Melissa Auf der Maur 's debut solo album Auf der Maur (2004). In 2003 Willard became an official member of the Offspring , replacing long-time drummer Ron Welty who had left the group earlier that year. During Willard's tenure with

1300-464: The Sultans until their breakup in January 2007. He then formed The Night Marchers , with whom he currently performs. Reichert founded and runs the online merchandise company Merch Lackey. O'Beirne teaches project management and marketing at a San Diego high school, while Crane left San Diego semi-permanently for Belize . Stamets continues to perform in San Diego-area bands such as Beehive &

1352-512: The United States with Social Distortion in 2009, was scheduled to tour South America with them in April 2010, and had been in the studio recording their seventh studio album. On March 8, 2010, due to scheduling conflicts with Angels & Airwaves, Willard departed from Social Distortion. He was replaced by Fu Manchu drummer Scott Reeder for their South American tour. In February 2011 Willard joined Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio for

1404-617: The album in May and July. On October 4, 2011, Willard officially left from Angels & Airwaves. The split is said to have been "amicable" with the rest of the band. Prior to his split with Angels & Airwaves, Willard had completed recording all drum tracks for the group's fourth studio album Love: Part Two released in November 2011. In April 2009 Willard replaced Charlie Quintana in Social Distortion . He toured Europe and

1456-628: The album sound as epic as possible, and it would later be regarded by most as their creative peak. Music videos were filmed for the singles "On a Rope," "Born in '69" and "Young Livers" and the band embarked on tours of the US, UK and Europe . They experienced a surge of popularity in the UK, where "On a Rope" entered the UK Singles Chart at No. 12, and was a hit on MTV Europe , earning them rave reviews in NME and allowing them to play Top of

1508-418: The band announced a full reunion, resulting in gigs in the US, Europe and Australia. In March 2015, Vintage Piss was released by Sonny Vincent and Rocket from the Crypt. The album was originally recorded with Vincent in 2003 following a tour with Rocket from the Crypt serving as his backing band however the album was left unmixed and unfinished until twelve years later following the reunion of Rocket from

1560-479: The band he toured the United States, and Europe. Willard recalls several wild tour experiences with the group such as touring in a box truck and an airport shuttle , both at his suggestion. In 2000, however, he decided to leave the group due to disagreements with the other members over the band's direction: I was getting disillusioned with the way we were doing business. It was getting harder and harder to survive–those tours where you'd come home with no money, that

1612-486: The band to continue touring in support of the album. Even with market saturation high, however, the band members decided to take a six-month break in 1994 while Reis recorded a second and final album with Drive Like Jehu. Regrouping after their hiatus, the band experienced a flurry of creative energy that resulted in several more vinyl singles and a trilogy of records in 1995, beginning with the EP The State of Art

SOMA San Diego - Misplaced Pages Continue

1664-510: The band under the stage name "Atom." The rest of the band also assumed stage monikers, with Stamets performing as "ND" and Reichert as "Petey X." The band soon added a horn section , recruiting saxophone player Paul "Apollo 9" O'Beirne. They developed a reputation for their creative and energetic live shows, taking unusual measures to encourage audience participation such as handing out homemade lyric booklets and noisemakers. They released many vinyl singles around this time and began to attract

1716-427: The children's television show Yo Gabba Gabba! Reis, who plays a recurring role on the show as "The Swami", remarked that the band was "only interested in playing to audiences of 5 to 10 people between the ages of 3 to 6" and would "most likely never play as a band ever again". They performed an original song, "He's a Chef", which was released as a single exclusively through Volcom clothing stores. In December 2012

1768-464: The collective experience of all the members of the band made joining very easy for him. "There's nobody trying to figure out what is and what isn't going to work, not just for themselves but for music and for a band, what life's going to be like on the road and all that kind of stuff. Everybody had enough experience to just buckle down and do the work. It really has made it easier than anything else." DeLonge remarked that Willard "has always felt to me like

1820-423: The departure of Derek Grant . When performing with Angels and Airwaves his drum kit consists of two snare drums (6.5"x14" and 7"x12"), two tom-toms (6"x6" and 8"x12"), two floor toms (14"x16" and 16"x18"), and a bass drum (18"x26"). For cymbals he uses Zildjian K custom session hi-hats (14"), an A custom EFX crash cymbal (20"), one A custom projection crash (20"), a K custom ride cymbal (22"), and

1872-455: The group he performed on numerous tours but only performed on one song. Professional drummer Josh Freese had recorded the drum tracks for the band's 2003 album Splinter after Welty left the group. Willard joined shortly before the album's release and appeared with them in the music video for the single " (Can't Get My) Head Around You ". However, in 2005 he became a founding member of Angels & Airwaves (see below), and his commitments to

1924-581: The group in support of the album. In July 2007, during production of the band's second album I-Empire , Willard left the Offspring to focus on his work with Angels & Airwaves. The album was released in November 2007 and went on to sell over 200,000 copies in the United States. Singles from I-Empire included " Everything's Magic ", " Secret Crowds ", and " Breathe ". He also played on Angels & Airwaves third album, Love , released in February 2010. Willard toured with Angels & Airwaves in support of

1976-543: The lobby. On September 22, 2016, SOMA served beer in the side-stage room for a show by the band Descendents . This marked the first time in the venue's history that alcohol had been served. The first person to ever order a beer inside of SOMA was lead singer Mikey Carnevale of The Frights. In 2004, Switchfoot performed a sold-out show that was later released as a DVD titled Live in San Diego . Dave Matthews Band 's performance at SOMA in 1995, broadcast live on radio,

2028-553: The main concert hall located on the ground floor, it had a basement area, known as "The Dungeon" (which was the actual freezer room for the slaughterhouse) that held approximately 100 people. It was there that many local San Diego bands got their first opportunity to play at the club. If bands could bring in a large enough following, they would be given the opportunity to play upstairs on the main stage, in support of more popular local acts or nationally touring acts. At this downtown location some well-known San Diego bands such as Rocket from

2080-410: The music video for the single " Private Eye ". He soon joined Weezer drummer Patrick Wilson in his side project the Special Goodness , in which Willard drummed while Wilson sang and played guitar. Willard also filled in with Moth in 2002 for tours in support of their third album Provisions, Fiction and Gear and appeared in their music video for "I See Sound". Willard's first recorded output with

2132-463: The new group began to draw him away from the Offspring. The Offspring released a Greatest Hits compilation in 2005 including two new songs, " Can't Repeat " and a cover of The Police 's " Next to You ". Willard appeared with the band in the "Can't Repeat" music video and recorded the drum tracks for "Next to You". In July 2007 it was officially announced he had left The Offspring to focus on Angels & Airwaves. Freese again recorded drum tracks for

SOMA San Diego - Misplaced Pages Continue

2184-618: The next few years. In August 2005, after breaking up Hot Snakes, Reis announced that Rocket from the Crypt would play their final show that Halloween in San Diego. After a final east coast performance in New York , they played a farewell show before a capacity crowd at the Westin Horton Plaza Hotel in downtown San Diego on Halloween, which was filmed for a DVD release. Following the band's breakup Reis focused his energy on running Swami Records and continued to play with

2236-590: The offices of Fourth Project, the video company producing the DVD, pushed back the final version. It was eventually released in February 2008 as a CD/DVD set entitled R.I.P. A third installment in their rarities series, All Systems Go 3 , was released on August 28, 2008. A fourth, and final, volume of the All Systems Go series is in the works, and will be a CD/DVD set. Rocket from the Crypt reunited, with drummer Adam Willard, in October 2011 for an episode of

2288-672: The recording process they recruited San Diego drummer and professional skateboarder Mario Rubalcaba as their full-time drummer, giving him the stage name "Ruby Mars." The addition of Rubalcaba gave the band renewed energy, and Group Sounds was released in 2001 to positive reviews. Some touring followed, but band members drifted into other projects and Rocket became less the focus. In 2002 Rocket released what would prove to be their final studio album, Live From Camp X-Ray , after which Reis devoted more energy to recording and touring with Hot Snakes and Sultans and to signing and producing bands for his Swami label. Rocket would perform infrequently over

2340-565: The single largest score in music. He is a loyal, honest and humble friend, but an even better showman." The band, which also included former Box Car Racer / Hazen Street guitarist David Kennedy and former Distillers bassist Ryan Sinn , released their debut album We Don't Need to Whisper in May 2006. It peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200 and spawned several successful singles including " The Adventure ", " It Hurts ", " Do It for Me Now ", and " The War ", and Willard toured extensively with

2392-524: The spaces. It was just weird , and everybody was older than me. But the sound was rad. It was a lot of soul , a lot of Otis Redding , James Brown –but it was up against a serious punk-rock influence, and just regular rock 'n' roll . Every song had four personalities! Willard performed on Rocket from the Crypt's second album Circa: Now! (1992) and subsequent albums Hot Charity (1995), Scream, Dracula, Scream! (1995), and RFTC (1998), as well as numerous EPs and singles. During his years with

2444-542: The then-defunct 1970s underground punk band Rocket from the Tombs . This lineup lasted roughly six months and recorded the band's debut album Paint as a Fragrance , released in 1991 on local label Cargo Music . At this time, Reis began to use the pseudonym "Speedo" when working with the band. He was also simultaneously performing in Drive Like Jehu, who recorded their debut album around the same time. When Sean and Elaina moved away from San Diego, drummer Adam Willard joined

2496-432: Was a tough choice, but we understand. Atom's been a great drummer for us and we're sure Pete will be great too! Later it became known that Willard also partly left because he wasn't happy in the band because he couldn't get creatively fulfilled. While the Offspring took a "touring hiatus" in 2006, Willard joined Tom DeLonge in his new group Angels & Airwaves. In an interview with Shave Magazine , he said that felt

2548-478: Was getting less cool. [Laughs.] I didn't just want to get some temp job to survive and go on tour anymore. I wanted to play the drums; I wanted to play music and make a living off of it. And I thought I could. And we all could. I wanted some changes and Speedo and I were kind of at odds on that stuff; we disagreed on how we should go about it. Willard was replaced in Rocket from the Crypt's lineup by Mario Rubalcaba . In October 2011, he reunited with Rocket From

2600-450: Was later released as part of their Live Trax series. On 16 June 2018, As I Lay Dying performed for the first time as a band since lead singer, Tim Lambesis was released from prison in late 2016. According to Tim, the concert was about gratitude for the opportunity to play as a band again and gratitude for fans. 32°45′14″N 117°12′32″W  /  32.754°N 117.209°W  / 32.754; -117.209 Rocket from

2652-599: Was the drummer for Against Me! until their indefinite hiatus. Currently he is playing in the bands Worriers, Plosivs, Lektron, and Alkaline Trio . Willard joined the San Diego , California rock band Rocket from the Crypt in 1990, after their original drummer Sean had moved away from San Diego. In a 2006 interview Willard recalled of the experience: It was crazy, man. I was just 16, I would drive down to this kind of sketchy, strange rehearsal space in this part of town I'd never been, and there were people living in some of

SECTION 50

#1732775617690

2704-500: Was the full-time drummer for Against Me!, led by Laura Jane Grace In 2018, he also became a member of Laura Jane Grace and the Devouring Mothers. In early 2023, Willard reunited with Skiba to form a new band, Lektron, alongside AFI bassist Hunter Burgan , and SpiritWorld guitarist Randy Moore. In the coming weeks, he was also announced to be reuniting with Alkaline Trio, this time as their full-time drummer following

#689310